


Parkour and Parties

by whitchry9



Series: Avocados and Avengers [3]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Blind Character, Deaf Character, Deaf Clint Barton, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Parkour, Secret Identity, bros being bros, stark parties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-14
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-03-30 11:30:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3935185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitchry9/pseuds/whitchry9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt finally tells the Avengers his true identity. One at a time though. There's no need to get overenthusiastic about it.</p><p>In which Matt and Clint parkour, Tony nearly dies, Thor proves himself cleverer than anyone suspects, Bruce gets excited about science, and Tony throws a party during which Foggy fangirls about Captain America.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Clint

**Author's Note:**

> Will be five, or maybe six chapters, depending on how long the last one turns out, since I'm not entirely done writing it.

This time, he was the one who'd called Clint. He figured he'd return the favour, since Clint was kind enough to invite him over to hang out and teach him archery, so he could invite Clint to go out with him one night.

 

“You want to go out parkouring? With me?” Clint asked. He sounded a bit shocked at the idea.

“Yeah. You did want to, right?” Matt confirmed.

“Of course. I just didn't think you'd ask.”

“Well, I am. This is me, asking. Are you free tonight?”

“Yeah,” Clint said, still sounding a bit shocked.

“Okay. You know where the Red Cross building is in the Kitchen?”

“Um, I think I can find it.”

“Okay, meet me on the roof. Ten o'clock okay?”

“Sure. Hey, should I wear my Avenging costume?”

“I'm going to be wearing my costume, so yeah, you should probably wear yours. I don't think we'll be getting into any fights, but better to be safe.”

“Got it,” Clint confirmed. “See you then.”

 

* * *

 

 

That night, while waiting for Clint, Matt crouched over his city, listening carefully. It was mostly quiet. It hadn't been as loud since he'd taken down Fisk, and many of the smaller gangs were reeling in his absence. He had no doubt that the criminal void would be filled, but for now, it was nice to not hear as much suffering each night.

 

He heard the sound of someone coming up the ladder to the roof, and he hoped it was Clint. He listened carefully, and heard the hum of Clint's hearing aids. There was a scraping noise that was probably his bow hitting the side of the building. Unless there was another deaf man with a bow, this was the person Matt was waiting for.

 

Matt moved over to the other side of the roof where Clint would arrive.

He was huffing slightly as he emerged onto the roof, but otherwise seemed in good shape. Unhurt.

“Clint,” Matt greeted.

“Daredevil,” he replied. “Why you chose this roof, I have no clue, but does there really have to be so many steps?”

Matt grinned at him. “Too much for an Avenger? And I chose this roof because it gives us good access to all the roofs around us. Easier to parkour down than up. Plus it's got a great view.”

Clint groaned. “Hey, I'm on the same team as Cap. His endurance is terrifying. It's hard to be compared to that.” He paused, considering the surrounding city. “It is a great view,” he acquiesced.

“You ready to go?”

Clint nodded. “Oh, cause of the darkness, I might have a harder time reading your lips, so just keep that in mind if you're talking.”

Matt nodded.

He stepped to the edge of the roof. The next building over was only a few feet over, roof nearly level with this one.

He grinned, and looked back to Clint. “Try to keep up,” he told him, before leaping across the gap and tucking into a roll. He spun across the next gap, rolling to absorb the impact, before getting to his feet and jogging the rest of the distance. He leaped across to the next roof, which was a couple feet lower. He paused to allow Clint to catch up to him. He was still two buildings over, breathing heavily.

“What the fuck man, I don't know how you do this. How can you see anything when it's this dark?” Clint bellowed, following behind Matt with more caution. He closed the gap by leaping across another opening. He couldn't really tuck into a roll because of the bow on his back. Matt wondered if Clint had considered that before getting dressed.

But he'd sort of forgotten that it was dark, and that Clint would require light to see. Well, this was as good a time as any to tell him.

Matt grinned at him. “Who needs light to see? Light is overrated,” he told Clint as he crossed the last gap.

Clint caught up and stared at him. “Dude, are you telling me you have like, super vision or something that doesn't require light? Do you cast your own light? Cause that's not fair if you're not sharing.”

Matt laughed at him. “Who says I'm seeing at all?” he retorted.

He waited as Clint mulled that over for a minute.

“Wait...” Clint said slowly. “Are you telling me that you don't need to see to get around? Is that why you're so good at night? How did you manage that?”

Matt tilted his head at him and waited a bit longer for things to click in his head.

“Oh shit!” he exclaimed. “You're not... I mean, you can't be... Are you seriously trying to tell me that Daredevil is blind?”

Matt nodded at him.

Clint crossed his arms and glared at him. “No way.”

“Yes actually,” Matt replied.

“Dude, there can't be blind superheroes. That's impossible.”

“You're a deaf superhero,” Matt pointed out. “And I told you before that I still don't really consider myself a superhero.”

“Well you are,” Clint retorted. “But... _how?_ ”

Matt shrugged. “Sight isn't the only way of doing things. You compensate without your hearing, I compensate without my sight.”

“That is the coolest thing I've ever heard,” Clint said, gaping at him. “We need to start our own club.”

“Okay?”

“Okay, maybe not the best idea,” Clint admitted. “But it seemed good at the time.”

“The time being ten seconds ago?”

“Yeah.”

There was a pause before Matt began snickering at him. Clint joined him for a few seconds before they both sat back against the rooftop and were quiet.

 

“Wait, so you're not colourblind?” Clint asked.

“Um,” Matt hummed. “Well. I am. Technically? But also no.”

Clint sighed. “Yeah, I suppose. Although you're an awesome archer for a blind guy. Like seriously, how the fuck are you _that good?_ ”

“Thanks?” Matt replied.

“Oh, sorry, is that offensive?” Clint winced.

Matt shrugged. “I've heard it all before, so I'm not really bothered. But I was pretty pleased with how well I did, considering I couldn't see the target.”

“So are you totally blind?” Clint asked, hesitating before waving a hand in front of Matt's face.

Matt grabbed his wrist. “Yes. No light perception at all.” He released Clint's wrist.

“Okay, so how do you do that then?” he asked, waving a hand in Matt's general direction.

“My other senses are enhanced. You know how bats and dolphins echolocate, and how radar works?” When Clint nodded, he continued. “Well it's kind of like that. I don't see, but I do hear everything around me. Sounds bounce off walls, telling me their position. I can sense the heat of someone's body, letting me know where they are. My balance is far better than it was before. I can sense vibrations, changes in air currents and air density... when all of those things combine together, it's sort of like an impressionistic painting. I've described it before as a world on fire, because everything looks like it's engulfed in flames.”

Clint winced at that description. He didn't say anything for a moment. “Before?”

“Yeah. Accident when I was nine. Chemical spill.” He shrugged.

“So you haven't seen anything since then?” Clint asked softly.

“Not in the way you think of seeing,” Matt replied.

“That sucks. Sorry,” he offered.

Matt shrugged. “Not your fault. And if there's anyone who would understand, it's you.”

Clint scoffed. “Dude, you totally could have said something when I was spilling about my hearing loss.”

Matt shrugged. “I know. I'm sorry that I didn't say anything earlier. But it's kind of nice to have friends that don't know. It's a good change. A lot of people treat me differently when they find out.”

“Which is what I'm doing,” Clint sighed. “Sorry.” He perked up. “Hey, you think we're friends?”

Matt smiled at him. “Um, yeah? I don't just take anyone out parkouring with me.” He considered it. “Actually, you're the first.”

“Really?”

Matt wasn't prepared for Clint's sudden attack, and he was about ready to shove him away when he realized what it was.  _A hug._

Okay. Weird, but he could handle it. He hugged back, and Clint let go after a second.

“Thanks man,” he said. “Really. For everything, trusting me with your secret... I promise I won't tell anyone else on the team.”

“Natasha already knows,” Matt said, preparing for the backlash.

“Really? No, of course she does. She just knows things. That is how she found out right? You didn't tell her?”

“No, she found out on her own,” Matt assured him.

“Oh good,” Clint sighed, relieved.

“You know there's not many blind men in Hell's Kitchen,” Matt pointed out. “It wouldn't take you long to figure out my identity if you tried.”

Clint tilted his head to look at him. “Do you want me to?”

Matt shrugged. “I don't want you to have to.”

“So Daredevil. What's your name? Who are you? What do you do?”

“Matt Murdock,” Matt said, holding out his hand for Clint to shake. “I'm a lawyer.”

Clint shook his hand and whistled. “A lawyer turned vigilante turned hero? That's not a story you hear everyday. It's nice to meet you. Matt.”

“Likewise. It's nice to finally be honest. For all the secrets I keep, I don't like lying. Catholic,” he explained.

“Oh my god. You're a Catholic lawyer vigilante. This is the best thing I've ever heard.”

Matt shrugged. “My best friend, when he found out, asked how I could fit what I do in with my religion. And it's hard, you know. It's hard to fit vigilante justice in a worldview that also contains Catholicism and the law. And I struggled, for a long time. I still do. But I can't lose any part of my identity, so I just have to make them work together.”

Clint pondered that. “I guess that's true. My background is a lot more... morally grey, so being an Avenger isn't that hard for me. And I don't really have a religion to speak of, so that's not an issue I have.”

 

They sat for a few minutes, in the dark and quiet of the rooftop, the city sounds below them.

“What the hell was that comment about the roof having a great view?” Clint complained. “Oh my god, how many jokes about sight do you make?”

Matt grinned. “I do like to fit as many into daily speech as I can.”

“God, you're kind of a dork, you know that?”

“I try,” he said seriously.

Clint scoffed. “Are we going to finish this or not? Is there an end to parkour?”

“You're always parkouring,” Matt said, deadpan.

 

Below them, a few streets over, there was a scream. Matt held his hand up to Clint. “Shh.”

He listened, and a woman cried out for help.

“Fun's over,” he told Clint, heading towards the edge of the roof. “Someone needs help.”

“God, I've been hoping you'd say that,” Clint muttered, grabbing his bow off his back and pulling an arrow out of his quiver. “Which way?”

Matt led, diving off the rooftop, and he heard Clint follow behind him, shooting an arrow into a nearby wall and grappling down.

Trick arrows then. Awesome. He'd have to get Clint to show him his different kinds some time.

But for now? Someone in his city needed help.

 


	2. Tony

Matt was pretty sure he hated Tony fucking Stark, because none of the other Avengers had dared to try and die on him.

And yet here was Tony with a bullet wound in his stomach and both of them buried under a pile of rubble. And he didn't even have the suit.

Yeah, Matt kind of hated him.

 

“Are you seriously bleeding all over my new costume Stark?” Matt hissed, pressing his hands to Tony's stomach.

Tony made a choked sound that could have been laughter. “Hey, it's already red.”

“Yeah, but that's not so billionaires can bleed all over it. My costume, my blood. Sorry, those are just the rules.”

“Your rules suck,” Tony hissed.

“Yeah, well I'm not the one who's dying here, so shut up.”

“Rude,” Tony muttered. “Am I dying? Is it that bad?”

“No. You're just a pain and I told you that to get you to shut up,” Matt told him.

In all honesty, Matt wasn't sure if Tony was going to die or not. It depended on how long they were buried for before they could be dug out, and Tony could get medical attention.

“Ugh,” Tony sighed, rolling his head to one side.

“Seriously, shut up for a second, I'm listening.”

Matt focused on letting everything in, hearing the sounds outside of their temporary tomb.

“ _There's heat signatures under here,”_ someone said.

“ _The extraction equipment is five minutes out,”_ someone else replied.

“Hey, Tony, listen, they know we're here. They're coming for us. We're gonna make it out of here.”

Tony snorted. “How can you know that?”

“I can hear them.”

Tony considered it. “No you can't.”

“I really can. This isn't the time.”

Tony coughed at him, a wet sound. Shit. Matt couldn't see if there was blood around his mouth, and his sense of smell was already so overwhelmed from the blood that he couldn't tell if there was any in his mouth.

“Tony, is there blood in your mouth?”

“What, is the arc not enough light to tell?” Tony quipped.

His first action, well, second, after moaning about being shot, was to rip his shirt off so the arc reactor was visible. Matt knew that it glowed, he could even feel the slight energy it emitted, but light wasn't exactly a factor for him.

“Tony, please.”

“Yeah, I think so.” He coughed again.

“Well shit,” Matt muttered. “Don't you dare die on me. I can't have that. Captain America would hate me, and my best friend really wants to meet him.”

Tony laughed. “Oh buddy, I don't plan on dying here today.”

“No one ever does,” Matt told him.

“I've very hard to kill,” Tony told him. He coughed again, and Matt pressed harder on the gunshot wound. It was Tony's upper left abdomen, but he couldn't tell if it was high enough to nick his lung, or if the blood was from his stomach. He might have been able to hear a pneumothorax, if it was present, but not with the arrival of the heavy machinery above him. And for all the times he'd gotten hurt, he still wasn't very good at being able to help others when they were hurt.

“So this friend of yours, big Captain America fan?” Tony asked.

Matt frowned at him. It was an odd topic to be discussing while Tony lay there bleeding, but if he was trying to distract himself, Matt wasn't going to stop him.

“Huge,” he confirmed, listening to Tony's heartbeat again to make sure it was still strong. “You know what he did when he found out I met Captain America? He hit me with a pillow. Repeatedly. Then tried to smother himself in it. Needless to say, it didn't exactly go well.”

Tony laughed, but the sound was awful.

“Stop that,” Matt ordered. “Stop moving and talking and generally doing everything except for breathing and staying awake.”

“You're very bossy Daredevil,” Tony muttered. His heart rate was still steady and strong, but Matt didn't know how much of that was due to the arc reactor in his chest.

“Matt,” he corrected. The shreds of Tony's shirt under his hands was becoming saturated with blood, blood that was supposed to be inside Tony's body. “My name is Matt.”

“Oh god I must be dying if you're telling me your real name,” Tony moaned.

“You're not dying, stop being so dramatic. I'm just trying to distract you.”

 

Above them, the rescue efforts continued. Matt heard discussions about structural safety, and silently prayed for them to hurry, but also to not drop any concrete or beams on them.

“And this is how you do it? Come on, give me something good.” He coughed again, wetly.

“How much blood are you coughing up? Or are you even coughing it up. Lungs or stomach Tony?”

“I dunno how much. Lungs I think? It's with the breathing. Can't you tell?”

“No Tony, I can't,” he repeated patiently. “I'm blind.”

Tony's breathing stopped for a second, and Matt was concerned that he'd have to start CPR, but then he started up again. “You're blind? Holy shit, that explains a lot. But how? No, we don't have time for that. Seriously though? A blind vigilante? That's fucking awesome. Hey, does Barton know? He's deaf you know. You guys could bond over that.”

Matt removed one hand from Tony's stomach to place a finger over his mouth. “Tony. Shut up.”

 

There was a sudden rumbling above them, and Matt barely had time to throw himself over Tony's body before a torrent of gravel and dust rained down on them. Along with it, Matt could feel the sun.

He'd never been so happy to feel it before.

“We've got them,” someone yelled. “Need medical evac over here!”

 

“You're not getting out of this conversation,” Tony muttered to him as people began to descend into their cavern. “Cause I'm sure as hell not going to die, thanks for that, and we will be discussing this.”

“Whatever you say,” Matt grinned, letting the medics take Tony from him and carry him out of the pit on a stretcher, already yelling about fluids and surgery.

 

* * *

 

Matt had some minor cuts and scrapes he hadn't noticed when they had gotten trapped, since he'd been a little busy trying to keep Tony from bleeding out.

Natasha was kind enough to bandage the one on his head for him, so no one else would have to see his face.

“Thanks for saving Stark,” she told him, pressing the edges of the adhesive down firmly. “If he died we'd have to find a new place to use as base of operations. And I've grown accustomed to this lifestyle.”

“I told him,” Matt said in response.

Natasha stepped back and stripped her gloves off, apparently pleased with her handiwork.

“Well, you picked a hell of a time. Bet you made him think he was dying.”

“Yeah,” Matt admitted. “That was a bit of a mistake. But it gave him something to look forward to.”

“What?” Natasha asked.

Matt grinned at her, pulling his mask back on over the bandage. “Interrogating me.”

 

* * *

 

Matt waited for Tony to wake up. He'd been out of surgery for a couple hours, the bullet having just nicked his lung and his spleen. The damage had been repaired, and Tony was resting comfortably, with the help of a large number of narcotics. He was also being given transfusions to replace the blood that he'd lost. Matt reflexively tightened his fists at the thought. He'd washed his hands repeatedly, and Natasha told him they were clean of blood, but he still couldn't shake the memory of the hot fluid clinging to him.

 

Tony's breathing pattern hitched, and changed slightly, and Matt got out of his chair to move to the side of Tony's bed. He was waking up.

 

Matt waited for Tony to figure out his surroundings, but it seemed like the first thing on his mind was Daredevil.

“Matt,” he whispered. “Your name is Matt.”

“Yep. And I saved your life. You're welcome.”

Tony nodded slightly. “Yeah, that too. But I need you to explain the blind thing to me, because I had these wicked dreams about it, and I'm not sure if any of them are real or not. Did you tell me that you're basically the genuine version of Batman?”

Matt smiled. “No. That must have been a dream.”

“That does explain the ridiculous costume you had in it,” Tony murmured. Matt could tell he was exhausted, but was also not going to give in until he'd gotten some answers.

“I was blinded at the age of nine. Chemical spills. My other senses are enhanced, which is how I navigate. However, I am completely blind, which poses a problem in certain situations.”

“Like telling if there's blood in my mouth,” Tony muttered.

“Right,” Matt agreed. “And I'm sure you'll want to learn more and examine me or whatever, but for right now, you need to rest and get better. I'll be back, and you can interrogate me more then.”

Tony nodded. Matt was pretty sure his eyes were already closed. “Can't believe I didn't figure it out,” he sighed. “M'supposed to be a genius.”

“There there,” Matt consoled, patting his arm in what he hoped was a placating gesture. He would save the news that Natasha had figured it out for another time, when Tony would actually remember it, and he could savour the feeling.

For now, he needed to get home and reassure Foggy that he was okay. Also, that he'd saved Iron Man's life and was probably an honourary Avenger already.

 


	3. Thor

Matt ended up in Midtown after a chase a few weeks later. He'd delivered the would be mugger to a nearby police station, securely wrapped with duct tape, and decided to visit Clint while he was in the neighbourhood.

 

He'd never arrived unannounced before, and he was a bit uncertain about the whole thing, but still, he got into the elevator, which began to rise without him pressing a button.

“Apologies, Daredevil,” Jarvis said after a short while. “I was attempting to ascertain the whereabouts of Agent Barton, who I assume you are here to meet with.”

“Yeah, if he's around.” The elevator stopped on one of the common floors, and Matt got out. It appeared to be empty, since he couldn't hear anyone. There were people in the building though.

“Again, apologies. Agent Barton appears to be out, along with a number of the other team members. However, while you are here, Thor would like to speak with you.”

“Really?” Matt asked. Thor was nice the last time they'd met, but he wasn't sure why he'd want to talk to Matt in person.

“Yes, apparently Agent Barton spoke with him about your archery prowess, and Thor is quite impressed.”

Matt considered that. “Huh. Okay. Where is he?”

“He's watching television two floors down.”

“Stairs?”

“Twenty feet away, at two o'clock.”

Matt grinned. Jarvis had been learning. “Thank you.”

 

Thor had turned the television off by the time he got downstairs, and was standing, waiting for him. He was even larger than Matt remembered, and considering he'd been a bit concussed at the time and thought he might have exaggerated how large the man was in his memory, it was saying a lot.

 

“Hey Thor. Jarvis said you had something to ask me?”

“Hello Daredevil,” Thor greeted. “Barton tells me you are proficient with a bow and arrow, after only one lesson. May I ask how one without sight fares so well in a task that requires vision?”

Matt froze. “What?”

“I'm sorry if it's impolite to ask,” Thor continued, “But I am curious. Is this normal on Midgard?”

Matt breathed for a minute to calm himself. “What do you mean without sight?”

“Is it not true?” Thor asked, confused. “Am I mistaken?”

“No... but... how did you know though?”

“Of course, I forget that Midgardians do not possess the same gifts as Asgardians do. I apologize. I hope I have not upset you in revealing I know your secret?”

Matt nodded. Right. Of course it was an alien thing. Thor just had an innate sense of knowing. So why hadn't he mentioned it at their first meeting?

“No, I'm just... surprised. I didn't know you could do that. Why didn't you say anything when we first met?”

“I have learned much in my many years, both on Midgard and at home on Asgard, and I have been taught that it is impolite to comment on other's different abilities. Is that not what this is?”

“I guess,” Matt sighed. “I'm blind. Have been since I was nine.”

“An accident, yes?” Thor asked.

Matt nodded.

“But you are not without sight. It's just different,” Thor observed.

“Yeah,” Matt agreed. “It's great for some things, terrible for others.”

“And you have not told the others yet,” Thor noted.

Matt shrugged. “Natasha figured it out on her own, and I told Clint after he taught me how to shoot. And Tony knows now too. I told him.”

Thor nodded. “And was the Man of Iron angry with himself for not noticing on his own?”

Matt grinned. “You bet he was.”

Thor laughed. “Of course. He likes to think himself the smartest in the room no matter who he may be standing next to.”

Matt nodded. Thor seemed to have an excellent understanding of his teammates, which was surprising considering how much time he spent not on Earth. But hey, the guy was at least centuries old, and probably a lot smarter than most people gave him credit for, simply because he talked differently and had trouble with some human customs.

Matt knew all about people underestimating others.

 

“Hey Thor, don't tell Bruce or Steve that you know. I'm going to tell them, I just... have to figure out the right way to do it.”

Thor nodded. “Of course. I would never betray the confidence of a fellow warrior.”

“Is that what I am?” Matt asked, grinning. He kind of liked the sound of that.

“Of course! After saving Stark's life and assisting us more than once, I consider you as much a brother in arms as I do the Captain or Hulk.”

“Thank you Thor.”

“It is no problem Daredevil.”

“Matt,” he offered. “My name is Matt. You know that I'm blind, you might as well know my name.”

“Matthew,” Thor considered. “Indeed the name of a warrior.”

Matt winced slightly. He'd sort of hoped Thor wouldn't go for the full name, but the guy did seem pretty formal, and he supposed it wasn't as bad as it could be in the long run.

“But call me Daredevil in front of them still, okay?”

Thor nodded.

“Listen, I've got to get back. Good talk though.”

Thor nodded again. “Goodbye Matthew. It is heartening to know so many valiant warriors.”

Matt paused. “Sure...”

He waved, and headed towards the elevator, which he hoped Jarvis had waiting for him.

Thor just kept surprising him. But in good ways. Matt kind of liked it.

 


	4. Bruce

He'd never really intended to tell the other Avengers. Four out of six of the team knew who he was and that he was blind, and he just assumed that it wouldn't remain a secret for long. But apparently for all of their faults, (Tony, 'I am Iron Man' Stark, for instance) they were good at keeping secrets.

Except then it became kind of necessary for Bruce to find out.

 

He'd managed to mistime a jump on the jungle gym while parkouring with Clint, and hit his head off a corner of the structure. He'd been dazed, but not knocked out, and Clint still insisted Bruce check him over.

“I can't let a blind man go home alone if he's dizzy,” Clint had argued. “You could walk into the street or something. Let Bruce check you over.”

Matt had protested that he totally wasn't dizzy, but being unable to walk a straight line hadn't helped his cause.

Clint had literally dragged him to the medical floor and left him there while he went to find Bruce. Matt had resigned himself to his fate, and laid back on the bed.

He'd worn his old costume again, not for Clint's sake, but because of all the other Avengers he could have run into while he was there. Clint still didn't know what he looked like.

 

“Hurt yourself again Daredevil?” Bruce said as way of greeting.

“Clint seems to think so,” Matt replied cheerfully.

“Because you can't walk in a straight line.” He paused. “Nat wanted me to help her, but I can stay-”

“Go,” Matt told him. “I'll be fine. You don't want her to be mad at you.”

Clint scurried off. “Very true,” he muttered, just loud enough for Matt to hear it.

“What was it this time?” Bruce asked.

“Hit my head off a wooden beam. I didn't black out or anything.”

Now, that was an interesting phrase.

Bruce hummed. “Are you sure?”

“I think I'd know.”

“Not always,” Bruce replied. “But for now, I'll operate on the assumption you didn't. Where on your head did you hit?”

Matt lifted a hand to the side of his head. Left side, an inch or so above the ear.

“There.”

Bruce hummed again. “I need to take this off,” he told Matt, pulling at the black fabric covering his face.

Matt sighed. “Alright, but it stays between us, okay?”

“Of course,” Bruce agreed. “Doctor patient confidentiality.”

Matt grinned, and pulled it off.

He let Bruce tilt his head to the side and probe at the tender area.

“There's no blood,” he observed. “A bit of a lump, but it's not too bad. Are you having any problems? Dizziness, double or blurred vision, headache?”

Matt shook his head. “I was a bit dazed immediately after, but I'm fine now. Seriously. If this was something that happened on my own I wouldn't even have gone to C-” he cut himself off, realizing what he was saying. “I wouldn't have worried,” he amended.

Bruce nodded, not pressing Matt for what he was going to say. “Just a few more things though. And you have to promise to get help if the pain gets worse, or you have any other symptoms, okay?”

Matt nodded.

 

“I just want to check your pupils, ” Bruce muttered, pulling a penlight out of his pocket. Matt waited patiently as Bruce shone the light into his eyes. He figured this was as good a time as any to tell him. And have a little fun.

 

Bruce paused, and did it again. And again. Matt could hear his heart rate increasing, and realized this might not be the best way to go about doing things.

“You can stop,” he told Bruce. “I'm sorry, that was mean of me.”

“Daredevil, this isn't the time. I'm concerned that you may have a serious head injury, since your eyes aren't reacting-”

“It's normal,” Matt interrupted. “I'm fine.”

He gave Bruce a minute to figure it out.

“You're... blind?” he finally said.

Matt nodded. “I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, and for letting you...” he waved at Bruce and the penlight. “Probably not a good idea to let you get your heart rate up,” he added.

“You can... hear my heart rate increasing?”

“Yep,” Matt told him. “Enhanced senses. Lucky byproduct of some concoction of chemicals.”

“Is that how you were blinded?” Bruce asked, pulling a rolling stool closer for him to sit on.

“When I was nine. Bye bye vision, hello hearing into the entire universe.”

“Really?” Bruce asked.

“Not exactly,” Matt admitted. “But all of my other senses were enhanced, beyond even what could be considered compensation for the lost sight.”

“Chemicals,” Bruce murmured. “Interesting...”

Matt nodded. “I figured you and Tony would find it fascinating. He knows now, by the way. So you guys can discuss it with each other.”

“Am I the last to know?”

Matt shook his head. “Steve.”

Bruce hummed.

“I just don't know how to tell him,” Matt sighed.

“You worried he'll treat you different?”

“Um, yeah. Nearly everyone does.”

Bruce didn't respond to that.

“So is my head fine?” Matt asked, changing the subject.

“Yeah, probably,” Bruce said, still a bit dazed.

“No double vision,” Matt added, grinning.

“Okay,” Bruce began. “So how... When we first met, you could tell how many fingers I was holding up. How?”

“Enhanced senses. They allow me to build a picture of my surroundings using available information. Air flow, echos, temperature changes. If I can hear your heartbeat, I can tell where you are.”

Bruce considered that. “Fascinating,” he murmured.

“I thought you'd say so. You and Tony can science it if you want.”

“Really?”

Matt shrugged. “Why not?”

“Thanks...” Bruce said, his sentence trailing off. “What's your name?”

“Matt,” he told him. “My name is Matt.”

“Thanks Matt,” Bruce finished.

“Thanks Bruce,” Matt echoed. “For the... head thing.”

Bruce shrugged. “Eh, it's the least I can do.”

He stood up, and offered a hand for Matt to get off the gurney. Matt accepted it, and hopped to the floor, replacing his mask as he did.

“Okay, but can I walk you down and ask some questions?”

Matt grinned. “I've got to say bye to Clint, but sure.”

“Great. So how far do your senses extend? Is there a limit?”

“Well, most of the time I have to block most of them out. It's overwhelming to let them all in most of the time. But when I do focus...”

 

Bruce kept asking questions as Jarvis led them to Clint, pausing only to allow Matt to say goodbye to him and Natasha, and resumed again until Matt stood in the underground garage.

 

“I do have to go,” Matt apologized. “I can come back at another time, and you can just question me all day.”

Bruce practically lit up. “Really?”

Matt grinned. “Yeah. Tell Tony. We'll make it a date.”

 


	5. Party, part one

Now that Tony knew his identity, along with everyone else on the team except for Steve, he kept trying to invite Matt over for parties.

It was thoughtful of him, but Matt knew very well from reputation what Tony's parties were like, and he wasn't sure he wanted to take part in that. He'd done enough partying in law school for a lifetime, mostly thanks to Foggy's insistence that he do more than simply study.

 

Of course, once Foggy got wind of the invitation, or rather, Tony also sent him an invitation, Matt had no way of getting out of it. Except maybe death or serious injury.

Honestly, it probably had taken Tony less than five minutes to find Matt had a law partner, find out his home address, and mail him an invitation, but Matt had hopes that Tony would stay out of his personal life. Of course, considering the man hacked his phone the first time they met, he should have known it was highly unlikely.

 

Foggy had shown up at his door, heart pounding with excitement, brandishing the invitation at Matt. Matt's invitation lay discarded on his kitchen counter when he'd left it as soon as he'd discovered what it was. Tony was thoughtful enough to print it in braille, which made it all the more easy for Matt to dismiss it.

Matt sighed, padding back into his apartment. Foggy trailed after him.

“We have to go!” he exclaimed.

Matt slouched on the couch, exhausted at the thought of attending a party. It wasn't that he'd been busy with Daredevil work for the last few nights, since he was still recovering from cracked ribs he'd gotten last week, but he'd actually been doing research for the multiple cases they had.

“When is it?” he asked, having never gotten that far on his invitation.

“This weekend. Friday night. Please Matt. Captain America, remember,” Foggy pleaded.

“Captain America still doesn't know,” Matt sighed. “Everyone else on the team does except for him.”

“Really?” Foggy asked, throwing himself into a chair and sprawling out. “I thought that he'd be the first one you told. He's kind of the team leader, right?”

Matt nodded.

“How's he going to react when he finds out he's the only one who didn't know?” Foggy wondered.

Matt groaned, rolling over to press his face into the cushions. It made his ribs ache with the movement, but it just felt right. He didn't really want to think about that. Although, apparently Steve was cool with finding out Clint was deaf. And really, Steve was pretty sickly before the serum, so he should understand what it was like to not want to be treated differently.

But that was before, and now Steve was a perfect human specimen (because yeah, Matt wasn't above admitting that) and he wasn't sure how he'd take it.

Plus Matt had sort of lied by omission to him for a while, and that kind of thing tended to strain a friendship.

 

“Fine,” Matt muttered into the couch. “We'll go.”

He ignored Foggy whooping behind him, and began mentally preparing himself to go to a Stark party.

 

* * *

 

Tony had texted him to let him know the party was formal wear. Matt wasn't sure what that meant, but Foggy got excited over it. Matt assumed it meant dresses for the women, and suits for the men, and dressed accordingly. Although considering he dressed nicely to go to work, it wasn't much of a stretch for him.

 

Foggy picked him up from his apartment like a good date would (he argued it was so Matt couldn't back out) and they took a cab to the Avengers tower together.

Jarvis welcomed them both, surprising Foggy.

“Hello Mr Murdock, Mr Nelson,” he greeted as they both got in the elevator.

Foggy nearly jumped.

“That's Jarvis,” Matt explained. “The AI I told you about?”

“You didn't tell me that it'd scare me,” Foggy grumbled.

Matt grinned. “Jarvis would never do that on purpose.”

Foggy snorted.

The elevator announced their arrival.

 

They stepped out onto one of the common floors. Matt couldn't be sure which one, since he hadn't been to all of them, and the ones he had been to were all very similar. Plus, the sheer amount of glass kept confusing his senses.

 

There were a decent number of people already present, only some of whom Matt could recognize immediately. Natasha was one of them, talking to Clint if he wasn't mistaken.

Foggy's heart rate increased almost immediately, and Matt couldn't be sure whether it was due to nerves or the amount of attractive women. Probably both.

 

Matt switched his cane to his right hand and grabbed Foggy's arm with his left.

“Do you see Captain America anywhere?” he whispered, trying to scan the room for his presence. He wasn't having much luck.

“Yeah,” Foggy croaked, lifting a hand up to point.

“Come on Foggy,” Matt hissed, grabbing his hand back before anyone else could notice. “Be cool. Take me over there and I'll introduce you.”

“Right,” Foggy said, taking a deep breath before walking over to a man that Matt recognized as Steve Rogers.

 

On the short walk across the room, Matt wondered how he'd take the news.

Tony had told everyone that Daredevil would be coming, but he'd failed to mention to Steve that it wouldn't be in costume. Of course, Matt had no doubt that Steve would figure it out as soon as he saw him, based on nothing more than body type and what of his face could be seen under the mask. Steve was an artist after all, and was rumoured to have a near photographic memory. And even if Steve didn't recognize him from that, his voice would give him away.

 

“Hey Steve,” he greeted when they got close enough. Steve's back was to them, and he turned and did a double take, probably scanning Matt up and down to check that what his mind was telling him was true. The blind man before him was Daredevil.

Matt wondered whether he'd be shocked, comment on it, make a joke, be awkward about it like so many other people were. But of course Steve Rogers was a perfect gentleman.

“Daredevil I presume?” he asked.

“Matt, please,” he told him, grinning and holding out a hand for him to shake. “And this is my friend and partner, Foggy Nelson, who has been very excited to meet you.”

Steve held out a hand for Foggy to shake, who in his shock, took a couple of seconds to notice it.

“Nice to meet you Foggy,” he told him. He sounded a bit uncertain about the nickname, but considering the guy's best friend had the nickname 'Bucky', Matt wasn't sure what his issue was.

“Yes,” Foggy replied faintly. “It's an honour to meet you Captain America.”

Steve laughed. “Call me Steve, please. I can't talk Jarvis into doing it, so I might as well try with you.”

“Jarvis has a tendency to use formalities,” Matt told Foggy, who nodded.

“So, Matt,” Steve began. “What made you decide to reveal your identity? Last I heard you were still pretty secretive.”

“Ah. Well, everyone else on your team knows, so I figured there wasn't any point in hiding it anymore.”

“Really?” Steve asked. He sounded shocked. “I'm the last to know?”

Matt shrugged. “It just came up with everyone else, and I couldn't avoid the topic anymore. Also, apparently Thor just knew. Not sure how, but hey.”

Steve nodded. “Thor is pretty good at those sorts of things,” he agreed. “So, what do both of you do? I assume you're not a vigilante all of the time Matt, and how about you Foggy?”

“Lawyers,” Foggy blurted out. “We have our own practice.”

“Defense attorneys,” Matt added. “Nelson and Murdock. You know, in case you're ever in legal trouble.” He grinned.

Steve laughed. “Most of my legal troubles have been taken care of. You know how hard it is to get insurance when you have a social security number from before WWII? I'll keep you guys in mind though.”

“That's all we ask,” Matt said smoothly.

“So, how long have you two been together?” Steve asked.

“Law school,” Foggy told him. “We were roommates.”

Matt blushed. “Foggy, that's not what he's asking. No, Steve, we're not dating.”

“Oh. But I thought you said-”

“Business partners,” Matt corrected.

Next to him, he could feel Foggy blushing.

“It's just in this day and age, partners is often used... well you know,” Steve sighed.

“It's perfectly alright,” Matt told him. “A lot of people make the same assumption.”

Steve nodded.

“He just nodded,” Foggy whispered to him.

“Oh god I'm sorry,” Steve blurted out.

Matt laughed and waved a hand at him. “It's fine. Hey, Foggy, could you get me a drink? Just make sure Stark hasn't spiked it, okay? I don't need that tonight.”

Foggy knew when he was being dismissed, but went anyway.

Matt moved his cane to grip it in front of him with both hands.

“You're blind?” Steve hissed, once Foggy was out of earshot.

Matt smiled mildly. “Is that a problem?”

Steve was most likely glaring at him. “That's not the problem, Daredevil,” he hissed. “The problem is you lying to us for so long. This is something we should have known.”

“I never lied to you,” Matt replied coolly. “And you really shouldn't be lecturing people about lying and keeping secrets.”

Steve crossed his arms in front of his chest and stood back a bit, surveying Matt. “It was a different time,” he began.

“Spare me the crap Steve. Is this going to be a problem for you in the future or not? Because all your other teammates are fine with it.”

Steve was shocked for a minute, but recovered quickly.

“You being blind is not an issue. That was never the issue. The issue is trust.”

“Trust goes both ways, Cap,” Matt replied. “I had to make sure I could trust all of you before letting you know who I was. I have my friends to think about.”

Foggy reappeared at his side, timing as perfect as ever. “Pretty sure it's not spiked,” he muttered, shoving a plastic cup into Matt's hand. Plastic. Huh. Matt figured a party thrown by Tony Stark would be a little more high class.

Matt took a sip. It was good, very good even, but also definitely contained alcohol.

“It's spiked Foggy,” he told him, grinning. He drank the rest anyway. The night wasn't developing the way he'd hoped.

 

Steve had drifted away from them in lieu of actually ending the conversation, and Matt was grateful for it. Beside him, Foggy could sense something was amiss, but Matt didn't really want to take the time to explain it.

Across the room, Matt's hearing picked up the sound of Tony's heartbeat, and he smiled, placing his hand on Foggy's arm. “So buddy, do you want to meet Iron Man himself?”

Foggy not fainting was a huge success. And after Matt introduced the two, Foggy even managed to get some words out and sound intelligent. The alcohol was definitely the way to go.

 


	6. Chapter 6

As the night progressed, they made the rounds of the Avengers, as well as some other people Matt knew of, but had never met.

The former director of SHIELD, Nick Fury, who was supposed to be dead. Sam Wilson, the man who'd helped Steve take down Hydra. (He was hilarious, and totally at ease with Matt. He didn't know he was Daredevil though, which could complicate any possible friendship in the future, but Matt figured if this guy was friends with Steve, he was probably trustworthy. Then again, he wasn't sure how Steve was taking the news, so that might not be the best baseline. But he digressed.) The CEO of Stark Industries, formerly Tony's PA, and possibly still his girlfriend/friend, Pepper Potts. (Matt would be the first to admit he had a weakness for powerful women, usually with questionable moral character, but Pepper was something else. In the short conversation he had with her, Pepper had interrupted it twice to prevent Tony from setting a small fire and designing a computer program to calculate how to get Steve drunk. She was ruthless and charming and Matt could practically hear Foggy melting beside him. Matt excused them shortly after that, and made a mental note to limit Foggy's alcohol intake from that point.)

 

* * *

 

 

Matt spent most of the night on Foggy's arm (again, like a good date, or maybe a trophy boyfriend, he couldn't be sure) but near the end of the evening, Steve pulled him aside. Kind of literally.

 

“Listen Matt, I'm sorry,” he began.

Matt held up a hand. “You don't have to apologize. I know I should have told you.”

“Yeah, but I didn't have to be such a jerk about it, especially in front of your friend.”

Matt felt Steve wince. “Does he hate me?”

“Foggy? No, Foggy kind of loves you. Like, a lot.”

He was pretty sure Steve blushed at that.

“Listen, we can forget the whole thing ever happened.”

“Really?” Steve asked.

“Yeah. If you take a picture with Foggy and give him an autograph.” Matt grinned.

Steve sighed dramatically. “I suppose it's only fair.”

“Although if he says anything stupid, please ignore him. He's had a bit to drink, and was nervous enough as it was.”

“Got it,” Steve said.

“Take me to him?” Matt asked. He could probably navigate on his own to find his best friend, whose heartbeat he knew as well as his own, but he was tipsy and the room had gotten fuller, and he wanted to put Steve at ease.

“Sure,” Steve said slowly.

Matt took his arm, and hoped that he knew sort of what to do.

He did.

Steve led him through the crowded room to Foggy, who was probably a little lost without Matt on his arm, and was talking to Clint.

“Foggy, right?” Steve asked.

Foggy nodded. Matt could only imagine the look on his face. And his face. But now wasn't the time to get maudlin.

“I heard that you wanted a picture with me.”

“Yes,” Foggy whispered.

“Clint, would you mind?” Matt asked. “I'm not terribly good at taking pictures.” He grinned.

Clint snorted. “No shit.” He took the phone Foggy handed to him, and stepped back as Steve and Foggy posed together. Matt had to concentrate hard to visualize them, but they looked pretty damn adorable, Steve's arm thrown over Foggy's shoulder, and a massive smile crossing his face.

Clint snapped a couple of pictures, and handed the phone back. Foggy seemed reluctant to move away from Steve, and Matt couldn't blame him. The man was like a beacon of righteousness and apple pie. Or something.

Matt had definitely had too much to drink. He wasn't sure how much that was, but it was too much.

 

“I'd be happy to autograph them for you if you get a printed copy,” Steve told Foggy, who was probably close to fainting.

“Thank you,” he managed.

“Thanks Cap,” Matt grinned.

“No problem. See you around some time.”

“You will. I won't.” He grinned again.

Steve winced. “I walked into that didn't I?”

Matt shrugged. “Get used to it.”

“He makes terrible blind jokes,” Foggy added. “Like, all the time.”

Steve laughed. “Good to know.”

“We should be going,” Matt told Foggy. “We've got those cases.”

Foggy sighed. “It's not even an excuse,” he said sadly. “We really do have cases.”

Clint snickered off to the side, and Matt gave him what he hope looked like a glare from behind his sunglasses.

“If you see Tony, thank him for inviting us,” Matt told Steve, ignoring Clint altogether.

He took Foggy's offered arm, and allowed himself to be led to the elevator. He had lost it again in the crowd and all the glass walls. Also alcohol.

Jarvis had it there for them shortly, and they got in.

“Did you enjoy yourselves?” he asked.

“Yes, we did. Thank you Jarvis.”

“Yeah,” Foggy added.

“Thank Tony for inviting us.”

“Of course. He was glad you could come and will be happy to hear you enjoyed yourselves.”

 

They must have been getting near to the ground, and acting on a hunch, Matt reached a hand out for the buttons. Braille.

He smiled.

 _Well done Tony,_ he thought. _Well done._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay everyone made up and is friends again. Steve just needed a bit to wrap his head around it and realize he was being a bit of a jerk.
> 
> There will be another one, but I'm currently fighting with it because of law.  
> If anyone is good with American law, hit me up on tumblr. I'm ijustreallylovedaredevil.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] Parkour and Parties - by whitchry9](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9705938) by [Kahara_the_Ghostly_Galoomp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kahara_the_Ghostly_Galoomp/pseuds/Kahara_the_Ghostly_Galoomp)




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